The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-04-08

day"
Monday morning came again. but
tne sport Of Saturday seemed to have
fallen like sparks OF finder on the
heroic spirits th'rsting for q fray.
"N0w, boys" said the Squire's son,
'It's time to settle q few things: Are
we Elm Tree bows going under, or
are going skating again this after
uOOn?'
A shout of applause followed, and
Hal went on. The master always sat
absorbed in law books through the
intermissiOn, the keys could be turned
on the outside in q flash, the heavy
wooden shutters pushed over the win
dOws, and there would be an after
noon for the ice, and one for the mas
ter to learn lessons in the dark. Hand
pledging began again, but there was
once more q gnat to the lion; the slack
trousers stood motiOnless again!
Sans eyes blazed, but Hal slowly IN
rolled a bundle and held something
! glittering and dangling before GallOws-
es' face. With q great bound GallOws-
es' heart leaped up and the brown eyes
shOne like stars. '1FOr me?" but Hal
drew the prize away. Hold on! Just
give us your hand you won't NEEDLE
with our lookup first"
Miss Judy's boy started back.
Was this quick, sharp-shootlng pam
what people call disappointment?
lie hadn't been used to expecting
things and he had not known.
"DOn't, Hall Don't show them to
me! cant promise! You know l
cant"
"Look here, Gallowses, don't be a
fool! Didn't Sam let yOuhave enough
the other time?"
The Elm Tree schootsat that morn
ing with flashes and mutterings like
q suppressed volcano, and Miss Pop
hurst swayed in her chair with short
Crispv little creaks. She had been
thinking about something aver since
Saturday afternoon, and at last she
sprang suddenly up.
"What difference does it make to
Tom? Perhaps he'll be glad" and
once more the attic boards Creaked,
and when Miss Judith took her seat
again she had a little bundle softly by
her side. The Old clock licked slowly
on, but the latch lifted at last, and
Miss Judith raised the bundle from
the floor.
See il those skates will ftyou; they
might be wOrn as to rust, | suppose"
she said.
That visit to the trunk haunted
Miss Pophurst after Gallowses was
asleep, and at last she stole silently
into his room, but before she reached
the bedside she stood transfixed.
Good land. if the child amt hugging
close to Toms skates yet! And that
other things under his cheek again,
and | do believe he's been crying!
Why, what ails the boy? And the
SHOWS coming down now at a rate
thatll put that mill pond out of sight
for one while!"
And so it did, and the life went out
Of the skates and the lookup plan al
together; the heroic spirits dropped
and quite settled in under the school
room for the NEXT two weeks. The
holidays were coming so near that
perhaps it was as we'll to let them
come peacefully, after all. Thanks
| giving Day astonished every one with
an unprecedented thaw and rain that
turned the snow-covered pond into an
| OOLJ SuIL@CCt bAtSh do lllhB anu Vi ISll
Miss Pophurst had q chicken and a
little ball of plumb puddingfor dinner,
there was no getting out, and still less
of the merry making and gay company
Gallowses lad heard all the boys
promise themselves; and he hid away
in bed at last. thankful that the day
was done; how should he live through
a whole week like that when Christ
mas came?
But before Christmas came the
world seemed to be in en- altogether
different mood. The sunset skies turn
ed yellow as gold, and the purple
hills stood sharp and almost black
against them in the frosty air; the
nights grew singing and clear, and at
last, as Christmas eve itself set in, a
north wind whirled down Of the glow
ering pond, and when morning dawn
ed, as Deacon Barberry assured the
boys, "PhAraoh and all his host
might feel free to march acrost."
Whittier had all sorFowful memo
ries fled away,that wild joyful Christ
mas afternoon? Fggter and faster
/ flowed the warm, eager blood through
his veins; had he ever been miserable?
Had he aver sobbcd himself to sleep
in a world where skates and skating
grounds were found?
On flew the hours; what did make
cutting letters so very hard? Over and
over the Up" he was determined to cut
Gallowses went, too busy to notice
that one by one the boys had slipped
away toward the cove above, forfresh
ice; for the black face OF the pond was
SCARED and white at last. Another
fifteen minutes, and suddenly there